SANTA ROSA — When it comes to installing new roofs, many homeowners fail to fully understand their warranties. Most roofing product manufacturers provide a “lifetime warranty,” which seemingly indicates the roof is fully covered throughout its expected lifespan. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple—most lifetime warranties only offer about 10 years of complete coverage for labor and materials, after which point coverage substantially decreases. By the time the roof is 15 years old, the warranty no longer covers labor or materials for replacement, and the cost of the shingles is prorated.
To avoid being misled, make sure you inquire about warranty terms before choosing a roofing product. Even better, consider getting an extended warranty. To do this, you’ll need to hire a contractor that has undergone a certification process with a particular roofing manufacturer. When you hire a certified contractor, the manufacturer has confidence that the materials will be installed correctly, which means you’ll get a better warranty.
Typically, an extended warranty will provide everything that a “lifetime” warranty should: 100 percent coverage of labor and materials for up to 50 years. Plus, extended warranties are usually transferable, so even if you sell your home, the roof will still be covered. Furthermore, an extended warranty isn’t much more expensive than a regular warranty—depending on the job, it may be a $300 to $500 increase, which is a small price to pay for the considerable increase in coverage.

The Truth about Lifetime Roofing Warranties

Uncover the facts about lifetime roofing warranties. Learn what they truly cover and ensure your roof protection plan is solid and reliable.

The Truth about Lifetime Roofing Warranties by Nathan DuCharme

by Nathan DuCharme, a Diamond Certified Expert Contributor

Video: Understanding Your Roof Warranty


a roof warranty can be a valuable asset
but if you don't read the fine print you
may be disappointed when it's needed
today we're in Santa Rosa with diamond
certified expert contributor Nathan du
charm of Capstone Roofing to learn more
yeah I think the biggest thing
homeowners don't understand is the
warranties it used to be a 30 40 in
lifetime they quit making the 40-year
what used to be a 30-year warranty they
call it a lifetime roof what that means
is the first 10 years it's labor and
material if the roof was defective
you're covered but you get to year 15 if
the roof fails then they just prate the
cost of the shingles you have no labor
and no other materials covered so it's a
very small warranty so most people don't
know that so if you have a certified
contractor do the job and do it a
certain way you should be able to get
100% labor and material up to 50 years
as long as own that property if you sell
that property in the first 20 years it
is transferable which is a you know a
plus if you're selling to someone or if
you're keeping it in the family it
doesn't cost that much more to get an
extended warranty you buy the warranty
from the uh manufacturer for the
homeowner it's
probably I wouldn't say more than 10
bucks a square so an average job you
know 30 squares it's going to be
anywhere from three to 400 bucks
somewhere in there depending on the job
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